The City of North Bay has chosen EllisDon Corporation to design and build its new community and recreation centre.
On May 7, city council approved a contract of approximately $2.6 million for the provision of project development services.
"The approval of the contract with EllisDon marks an important step forward in realizing our vision for a modern, inclusive community and recreation centre," Coun. Lana Mitchell, the city's chair of infrastructure and operations, said in a news release.
This initial phase is aimed at achieving early alignment on cost, schedule, and functional program, paving the way for council to select a preferred design concept, according to the release.
"Once the preferred design concept has been selected, the process will involve further refinement, including generating cost estimates with value engineering options, before a public meeting to gather feedback to be used to help inform the actual form, size, character, and design details of the project," it notes.
Negotiations for a guaranteed maximum price will take place next, followed by the completion of design documents, including drawings and specifications. Once this stage is complete, a finalized design and price will be presented to council for approval.
The city is aiming for a completion date of December 2025.
“While a target price of approximately $60 million has been set for the project, council's objective with the progressive design-build approach is to deliver a new community and recreation centre at the most competitive price possible,” said Mitchell.
The building will be located at the Steve Omischl Sports Field Complex, a recreational area in the central part of the city that hosts baseball and soccer fields.
"This new facility will maintain current recreational services within an upgraded and modernized setting while providing an additional ice pad to augment the existing inventory," says the release.
"This new facility will not only enhance recreational opportunities but will also set a new standard for sustainability,” said Coun. Justine Mallah, chair of community services. “I’m looking forward to seeing this project move ahead with a design that will work best for our community."
The project has secured approval for $25.78 million under the Government of Canada’s Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program, and will meet the Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard.
Under the standard, builders have to take into account a number of sustainability measures, including the carbon impact of construction materials, refrigerants used in HVAC equipment, and building airtightness; the anticipated carbon emissions from building operations like heating and cooling; and strategies to minimize electrical grid impacts.
